The Earl of Liverpoolrose to move the second reading of this bill. Their lordships would recollect the measure passed some time ago for granting a million to build new churches. That act had fully answered the expectations. There was, however, a necessity to' add to the grant, as there were many parishes which had not churches for one-fourth of their inhabitants; it was thought proper, therefore, to take a sum of 500,000l. from a fund which had been recently obtained, and apply it to the building of more churches under the same regulations as the former million was' granted. The act, however, gave the diocesans power, when two-thirds of the sum requisite for building a church were subscribed by the parishioners, to permit them to elect the clergyman. In the populous diocess of Chester, this provision had already been acted on with considerable benefit.
Lord Kingthought the latter part of 1431 the bill the best. Only allow those who would undertake to build churches on speculation to nominate their own parsons, and there would be no necessity for public grants of this sort. Speculators would be sure to select the best performers, and they would then get amply remunerated by the rent of their seats. But, as long as they were under the control of the rector of their parishes, he would be sure to put in a worse performer than himself, and ruin the speculation. He did not see, as this money, if it had been applied to remit taxation, would have gone into the pockets of the people, why the Catholics should be deprived of their share. The French government had built churches for their Protestant subjects; and he did not think it would be unworthy of the government of this country, when it was bestowing so much money for building churches, to give some of it for building churches for the Catholics.
§ The bill was read a second time.